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Ravensclaw, 12881AC
Ravensclaw is a sheltered woodland community protected by ancient agreements with the fairy-folk of the Seven Lakes
region, located about thirty-five miles to the south-southeast, and ranger militia that patrol the region of Ravensclaw,
Garnet, Karthay, and Shalost. In times of dire need, townsfolk can flee to the safety of Lord Garon's stone walled keep. Steady trade in gems, wood, clay goods,
and steel travel through Ravensclaw from its two neighboring trade-towns, providing a livelihood for many of the town
inhabitants.
Ravensclaw is governed, mostly symbolically, by the reclusive Lord Garon, a wealthy family
which has lived in the region for a couple hundred years. Though not appointed the land by a greater authority, the Garons
have looked after the welfare of the region for many years and stayed rich on their gem mining business in Garnet. Lord
Garon rarely intervenes in the day-to-day activities or administration of the town and so it is up to Ravensclaw's town
counsel to handle problems that come up between the inhabitants. The counsel rules over the business of the town by
consensus of the regions inhabitants, by virtue of their connections and the longevity of their presence in the area, and
not without a modest amount of palm-greasing and bartering when things do not go smoothly. For the most part they are
honest and hard-working individuals who are genuinely well liked by the various families that live in the area. Current
members of the town leadership are Sarek, warlock and quiet representative of Lord Garon; Lorna, friendly and keen-witted proprietress of the Fallen Stag Inn; Dainlen,
local pub owner and also a friend to the well-liked Mist Wolves ranger group; Merry Willow, the gossiping halfling proprietor
of the local trading post; and Run Patton, a well-counseled owner of one of the larger area farmsteads.
Locales
Ravensclaw is the size of a town where everyone knows everyone, yet strangers are common and the community is
use to their presence. A variety of townsfolk dwell within the main part of town, making up most of the atmosphere that is
Ravensclaw. Though just as many people live in the surrounding woodlands these are mostly woodsmen who only travel into
town when in need of supplies. The townsfolk know them by name, but they are not the kind of folk that strangers to the
community will usually bump into.
Baram the Fletcher: Baram is the half-galiadre
elf-blooded bastard son of the beautiful washerwoman Marsy (now long passed on) and the elfin hunter that she seduced. Baram lives a
fairly quiet life at the north end of the town where he fletches arrows for local huntsmen. Though accepted by the townsfolk, most of
whom treat him like a local small-legend since he has looked much the same all their lives, Baram rarely speaks out and mostly keeps
to himself. He is extremely knowledgeable of what goes on throughout the Crescent mountains since most of those whom he does speak with
are travelers of the region. An adventurer who plans on traveling north from Ravensclaw could do few things better than to buy Baram
a drink at the Donalain's Drink and Spirits pub and get the latest information on what's going on in the area.
Addisor's Home: Home of the retired priest, Kraine Addisor, a devotee of Prolitar. Kraine is long in
his years. He is a friend to Baram, who lived just across the way from him. The two of them often spend time talking of herbal remedies
and of their botanical studies. Addisor spends his evenings in prayer or sitting in the fireside room of the Fallen Stag Inn.
The Freewright's: This small home style building is used by a small consortium of traders who do business
between Garnet and Karthay. Often, there is no one there, but several times a month the windows become lit by the light of their regular
meetings, or when one of the members of the group need a place to stay while traveling between their investments.
James Paler's Home: James is a local wood-carver who sells his wares to passing caravans, but he is
also a journeyman gem cutter. When the Fallen Stag Inn has no room, travelers are often sent first to the Paler's Home where there are
a couple extra rooms that can be had for a night or two. Winne, James' wife, is a gracious hostess, though she is considerably younger
than James and is often gossiped about as regards her flirtatious nature. James is, however, convinced of his young wife's fidelity
since he keeps a close eye on her doings.
Erik Wiks' Home: Master Wik is the proprietor of Wikkle's Bakery. His home is a private residence,
though he often has visitors from one of the neighboring towns staying with him. Much of Erik's family is extremely poor, so he spends
quite a bit of his time finding ways to assist them without having them stay in his home for too long. Still, this doesn't prevent them
from visiting.
Wikkle's Bakery: Located across the street from its proprietor's home, Erik Wiks' Bakery is a popular
stopping place for travelers and locals alike. Erik works at the bakery from before dawn until late in the afternoon. Most of his
confections go to the two local pubs and the inn, but they can also be bought from here.
Margo the Butcher: Inheritress of her fathers work, Margo became a butcher since she knew little else.
Her mother died of sickness when she was quiet young and so she was raised as her father's only daughter and trained in his work, the
butchering of livestock. Local farmers depend on her deft skill with a butcher's blade and many local businesses sell her sausages and
smoked meats. Though she'll often speak of wishing to see the great cities of the west to any who will listen, Margo is happy with her
work and knows that the community depends on her.
Balos Tannery: Young and new from Karthay, Balos hopes to set up a new home here in Ravensclaw, out
of sight from his troublesome family which runs a mafia-like banking business. Balos, unlike the rest of his family, has a humble spirit
and isn't interested in making money by capitalizing on the less fortunate. Instead, he secretly apprenticed to a leather worker, learned
its art, and has moved to Ravensclaw to sell his wares. Balos has an eye for artwork and is skilled at wood and leather burning, creating
interesting designs and pictures on the saddles, backpacks, bags, and other leather goods that he crafts. Balos buys most of the skins
that he uses from Margo and the two of them are good friends.
Tower of Sarek the Warlock: Sarek arcane magic wielding inhabitant of the town. Most his time is
spent in private study, working for Lord Garon, or debating philosophy with the beautiful red-headed cleric of Arden, Vivian, whom he privately
dotes upon. In all things other than Vivian he is strong-willed and decisive. Sarek does his best to maintain an air of nobility and
self-assurance when dealing with other people; he has a rather high opinion of his talents in comparison to those of other town
inhabitants. Sarek's tower is a fortified building three stories tall, only equaled in height by the fore tower of Lord Garon's keep.
The Keep of Lord Garon: Lord Garon, the symbolic head of the town, dwells in a massive, run-down looking
keep that originally served as a military outpost about three hundred years ago. His family took possession of the keep about two-hundred
years ago and slowly Ravensclaw has grow up around it from the grubby militia town to the trading post that it is now. Lord Garon was
widowed during the time known as the Black Scourge. He has a son who tends to family affairs in Karthay, Jorun, and a daughter, Ardette,
who lives with Lord Garon and stays busy by maintaining the keep and its staff. Lord Garon is an aging man in his late fifties. His
background is in military matters, but he rarely discusses the topic. Truly, he shuns most visitors except those from the town counsel,
ever since his wife passed away. Vivian, the beautiful cleric and local representative
of the Church of Arden dwells in a comfortable side-building on the property of the keep.
Baron Bill's Bar and Brew: If the cozy establishment and embellished stories of Donalain have tired
out a traveler's ears, they can always travel cat's-corner across the street to the Bar and Brew where Bill, as he is called by locals,
serves up beer, bad jokes, and raucous singing most summer evenings. Bill, whose real name is Brithillin, is a
Daernarthor dwarf from the Hallanstaen Clans near Storn Hold.
His family is a group of traveling tinkers who once every other year pass through town and that's when the parties at the Bar and Brew
last especially long into the night.
The Well: Much of the town gossip occurs around the local well, where businesses, passersby, and
locals can get a free drought of cool mountain water from the underground stream that runs beneath the town. It is a place where
announcements are posted (weddings, wanted posters, and so forth). In the summer, Ravensclaw hires a woodsman to keep watch over the
well to make sure that strangers passing through the town do not abuse this important centerpiece to daily life.
Fallen Stag Inn: Lorna and her husband Frank tend to the Fallen Stag Inn, named in part for the numerous
head-pieces which decorate the walls within. The Inn is a comfortable and warm place for travelers to stay the night, situated in the
center of town. Rooms are one gold coin each night, including a hot breakfast of fresh breads from Wikkle's Bakery. Dinners are served
separately, but Mera's cooking is well known and not a few locals show up for an occasional evening of her spiced cider, meats, and pie.
The Inn is two floors tall, has eleven rooms, and can comfortably sleep twenty in beds. In the summer months a poor traveler can sleep
in the common room on the floor by the fire as long as they don't mind being awoken early when breakfast preparations are being made.
Nessy Weaver's: Nessy is an older woman who trades her blankets and clothing with passers through
the town and mends clothes for locals through the colder months. Her husband, Bernard, is mostly paralyzed after a logging accident
many years ago. He spends most of his time sitting by the fire in Donalain's Drink and Spirits, telling stories to whomever will listen
or to ghosts when there is no one around.
Perith the Scribe's: Perith is one of the few locals who is not a counsel leader and yet regularly is
employed by Lord Garon. As one of the few literate residents of the town, Perith writes and reads letters on behalf of the townsfolk,
manages deeds and contracts between individuals, and twice a week he reads the announcements posted at the well aloud for anyone who
cares to hear. Perith spends most of his time reading his books, but is also known to wander about town.
Gregory Turner's Home Gregory is a self made man who came to Ravensclaw penniless, some say he was
chased by the law, but he has since built his own fine home and he hires himself out to do labor of all kinds. He is a big man, well
muscled and with a voice that sounds like thunder in the hills. Though poor, Gregory is extremely self-sufficient and capable of many
different laborer trades. He is a likeable man, friends with many of the towns folk, with whom he spends quite a few of his evenings at
Baron Bill's Bar and Brew.
Agree's Home: Quiet and self-kept, Agree is a mountain man of Ulthor descent who lives just outside of
town. He has little interest in strangers, but for the right price he is one of the best guides into the mountains. Agree is somewhere in
his thirties or forties, no one is certain. He is wrinkled, but surprisingly strong. Tales abound that he has a touch of giant-blood in
his ancestry which explains his longevity, legendary endurance, and great strength.
Maraneth's Home: Maraneth is a woodcutter team organizer. Each Summer he gathers together several
dozen men and negotiates contracts with businesses through-out the Crescent Mountain Valleys. In the Winter he settles into his small
cottage at the edge of the center yard of Ravensclaw, and spends hours next door at Donalain's, sharing tales of his travels over beers.
Donalain's Drink and Spirits: Named for the town's local hero, Donalain of the Mist Wolves ranger group which freely patrols the roads and places
that lay between dwellings which rest in the Crescent Mountains. Relics of Donalain's adventures decorate the halls, though he was
rarely ever there. Dainlen, his half-brother, maintains the tavern and entertains its patrons with elaborate stories of his older
brother's adventures alongside the likes of Afairian Mistwolf. Though
the drinks aren't nearly as strong as they are across the street at the Bar and Brew, they are still quite good and the atmosphere is
a bit more local even at the height of the trade season.
Haldrew's Livery: The Livery is where all the sundries, tools and provisions that are needed to run
a farm, cook a meal, or prepare for an overland journey can be found. There are swords to be bought, hammered by Tarig, the local Smithy.
There are dried meats from Margo the Butcher and the fine arrows of Baram the local fletcher can be purchased. Hafts, hammers, shovels,
bags of grain or seed, saddles, and more can all be had here. Haldrew also contributes his home-made cheese as inventory to be sold.
Haldrew is friendly, knows absolutely everyone in town and many people from out of town, and can tell a canny adventurer a lot about a
person by what they have bought from his store. He and his auburn haired wife, Poppy, live upstairs over the store.
Malk's Rarities Shoppe: Malk sells the obscure: wart removing potions, clocks that will tell you the
time in Tel-Akbar, colorful ribbons that can pirouette like a dancer, and a vast curiosity of
strange animal parts and plant bits which may or may not be useful in balms, soothes, potions, and remedies; though Malk can come up with
a recipe for nearly any ailment from broken hearts to spotted apples. Buyers should beware that Malk never claims this knowledge to be
first hand, yet he never advises his customers of this. Unsurprisingly, Malk is a bit daft and eclectic. Locals say he's sampled too much
of his own wares, but they say so in a bemused way since his oddness is a long standing part of Ravensclaw lore.
Banden's Home: Banden is a musician and teacher of musical and oratory arts. He use to adventure, but
didn't have the spirit to risk his life as such a profession often demands. These days he spends most of his time telling stories and
giving performances at the Inn or one of the two bars. All the locals know most of his stories line by line, but most applaud just the
same. Local lore is that Banden made some decent coin during his brief stint as an adventurer and that he keeps it hidden in his modest
garden.
Willow's Trading Post: Merry Willow is the halfling proprietor of the local Trading Post. Caravans
stop here to make exchanges with each other. Currency from the Eastern Empire can be exchanged to those of further west, and odds and
ends that are not quite strange enough to find at place at Malks can be had here too. Merry Willow is a carefree man who spends a great
deal of time resting against various local trees and warming himself while snoozing next to the fires kept at the bars and inn. He is
fairly well connected with businesses in other Crescent Mountain towns, like Karthay and Garnet, and he knows which caravans are looking
for a hired sword and which caravan owners are having a difficult year in trade.
Tarig the Smithy's: Tarig is the large, balding, thick moustached, brawny muscled smithy of Ravensclaw.
He and his apprentice, Raldin, awaken the town with the sound of hammers striking steel and work throughout the day to shoe horses,
pour and split nails, cast rings for horse halters and belts, and forge weapons for trade with passing caravans. Tarig is a plain-spoken
man who deals honestly with anyone that approaches him. Raldin is a bit less conversational, content to remain mesmerized by the ring
and spark of steel on steel for hours without end. Tarig lives in a small room within his smithy. Raldin rents a room at the William's
home.
Dainlen's Home Proprietor of Donalain's Drink and Spirits, Dainlen spends nearly all his waking hours
managing his bar. All that is his life is there: friends, drink, a hot fire, the memoirs of his half-brother, and shelter from the dark
of the woods that surround Ravensclaw. Dainlen is a cautious man who carefully masks his fear with laughter and by surrounding himself
with other people.
Adize's Home: Adize is a retired magistrate from the town of Shalost. He, his wife Sella, his two
youngest sons, Paul and Tibbor, and youngest of six daughters Felicity, all dwell within his substantial estate along the south lane
of Ravensclaw. Adize is a regal man, deft at negotiations, and sometimes called upon by the counsel of the town when a particularly
thorny issue requires a respected and objective third party to arbitrate (since Lord Garon almost never entertains such issues).
The Williams' Home: This impressive farmhouse is where several generations of the Williams live.
Millin, head of the household, inherited the home as his father did and has continued in the family business of horse training, trading,
stabling, and rearing. He is a practical man with an equal eye for the character of a man as well as the character of a horse.
Old Fain's Home: Fain is a grumpy, wrinkled, old hermit of a woodsman who has dwelt in Ravensclaw all
his life. He is a bit of a historian, though given to exaggeration. Fain is hostile and distrusting to strangers, loves children, and
thinks that most of the locals laugh at him behind his back.
The Patton Homestead: One of the founding families of Ravensclaw, the Patton Homestead manages one of
the larger farms of the area, with large private gardens and larger growing fields south along the road. Run Patton is a long-time member
of the local counsel. Run lives with his wife, Jinni, his seven sons, five daughters, two wives of his oldest two sons and eleven
grandchildren. His brother Klip lives in a house on the corner of their in-town property with yet more family.
Cyrdun the Hermit: Cyrdun is an old druid and sometime friend of Fain. He helps the town with its
yearly crop rituals, gives good advice on medicinal inquiries, and spends most of his time wandering the woods.
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